This certainly ranks right up there with the most counties I've ever seen included in one severe weather warning. It gives an all new definition to the term "blanket warning!" This is just crazy...
BULLETIN - EAS ACTIVATION REQUESTED
SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE INDIANAPOLIS IN
658 PM EST TUE JAN 29 2008
THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN INDIANAPOLIS HAS ISSUED A
* SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING FOR...
BARTHOLOMEW COUNTY IN CENTRAL INDIANA...
THIS INCLUDES THE CITY OF COLUMBUS...
BOONE COUNTY IN CENTRAL INDIANA...
CLINTON COUNTY IN CENTRAL INDIANA...
THIS INCLUDES THE CITY OF FRANKFORT...
WESTERN DECATUR COUNTY IN CENTRAL INDIANA...
HAMILTON COUNTY IN CENTRAL INDIANA...
HANCOCK COUNTY IN CENTRAL INDIANA...
HENDRICKS COUNTY IN CENTRAL INDIANA...
HOWARD COUNTY IN CENTRAL INDIANA...
THIS INCLUDES THE CITY OF KOKOMO...
JOHNSON COUNTY IN CENTRAL INDIANA...
MADISON COUNTY IN CENTRAL INDIANA...
THIS INCLUDES THE CITY OF ANDERSON...
MARION COUNTY IN CENTRAL INDIANA...
THIS INCLUDES THE CITY OF INDIANAPOLIS...
MORGAN COUNTY IN CENTRAL INDIANA...
WESTERN RUSH COUNTY IN CENTRAL INDIANA...
SHELBY COUNTY IN CENTRAL INDIANA...
THIS INCLUDES THE CITY OF SHELBYVILLE...
TIPTON COUNTY IN CENTRAL INDIANA...
WESTERN DELAWARE COUNTY IN EAST CENTRAL INDIANA...
WESTERN HENRY COUNTY IN EAST CENTRAL INDIANA...
EASTERN CARROLL COUNTY IN NORTH CENTRAL INDIANA...
BROWN COUNTY IN SOUTH CENTRAL INDIANA...
JACKSON COUNTY IN SOUTH CENTRAL INDIANA...
THIS INCLUDES THE CITY OF SEYMOUR...
LAWRENCE COUNTY IN SOUTH CENTRAL INDIANA...
THIS INCLUDES THE CITY OF BEDFORD...
MONROE COUNTY IN SOUTH CENTRAL INDIANA...
THIS INCLUDES THE CITY OF BLOOMINGTON...
JENNINGS COUNTY IN SOUTHEAST INDIANA...
EXTREME NORTHEASTERN OWEN COUNTY IN WEST CENTRAL INDIANA...
EXTREME SOUTHEASTERN PUTNAM COUNTY IN WEST CENTRAL INDIANA...
* UNTIL 745 PM EST
* AT 653 PM EST...TRAINED WEATHER SPOTTERS REPORTED A LINE OF SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS CAPABLE OF PRODUCING DESTRUCTIVE WINDS IN EXCESS OF 70 MPH. THESE STORMS WERE LOCATED ALONG A LINE EXTENDING FROM 10 MILES NORTH OF FLORA TO 25 MILES SOUTHWEST OF MITCHELL...OR ALONG A LINE EXTENDING FROM 8 MILES SOUTHWEST OF LOGANSPORT TO 23 MILES EAST OF PETERSBURG...AND MOVING EAST AT 80 MPH.
* SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS WILL BE NEAR...
WHITESTOWN BY 705 PM EST...
ZIONSVILLE BY 710 PM EST...
WINDFALL BY 715 PM EST...
WHITELAND BY 720 PM EST...
THIS INCLUDES INTERSTATE 65 BETWEEN MILE MARKERS 37 AND 156.
THIS INCLUDES INTERSTATE 69 BETWEEN MILE MARKERS 0 AND 52.
THIS INCLUDES INTERSTATE 70 BETWEEN MILE MARKERS 48 AND 121.
THIS INCLUDES INTERSTATE 74 BETWEEN MILE MARKERS 47 AND 135.
FOR YOUR PROTECTION MOVE TO AN INTERIOR ROOM ON THE LOWEST FLOOR OF YOUR HOME OR BUSINESS. THIS STORM HAS THE POTENTIAL TO CAUSE SERIOUS INJURY AND SIGNIFICANT DAMAGE TO PROPERTY.
THIS STORM HAS A HISTORY OF PRODUCING DESTRUCTIVE WINDS AND LARGE DAMAGING HAIL. SEEK SHELTER NOW INSIDE A STURDY STRUCTURE AND STAY AWAY FROM WINDOWS!
THIS STORM HAS A HISTORY OF PRODUCING WIDESPREAD WIND DAMAGE ACROSS CENTRAL INDIANA WITH WINDS IN EXCESS OF 60 TO 80 MPH REPORTED. THIS IS AN EXTREMELY DANGEROUS SITUATION. SEEK SHELTER NOW INSIDE A STURDY STRUCTURE AND STAY AWAY FROM WINDOWS!
That's 25 counties whole or partially included in this warning! Granted, we're dealing with an intense squall line here. Also of particular note is the forward progression! Moving east at 80 mph!?! The line itself, isn't moving eastward quite that fast. I'm assuming the NWS caught the 80mph out of some SCIT information for an embedded cell in the echo wave pattern. Either way, seems like folks in Illinois and those back home in Indiana are dealing with some damaging winds this evening.
Soon enough, they'll find themselves at 10° or 20° F with snow falling... and winds at 30 mph! Pretty incredible system...
Winter Storm and Heavy Snow Warnings have been issued for much of the Ohio Valley today and are valid from this afternoon through most of Sunday.
It appears that most of Indiana and Ohio will see significant snowfall with this system, with northern areas seeing the heaviest accumulations. While computer models differ some on their precipitation forecasts, the most aggressive (the NAM, or North American-Mesoscale) model is painting quite the picture for parts of Indiana:
The image below indicates that heavy snow will begin late tonight over western parts of Indiana, then spreading northeastward during the overnight and into early Sunday morning. The image below shows a maximum accumulation of liquid of 0.989, which assuming a 10:1 ratio, would amount to near 10 inches of snow, but paints most of northern Indiana over 0.75 or 7-8 inches of snow by 12Z on Sunday. This is equivalent to 7:00am EST. Note, this also only indicates snowfall during the previous 6 hours - so this is 7-8 inches within a 1:00am to 7:00am period. Nearly an inch per hour! If that would actually occur, that's pretty impressive!
This next image from 18Z, or 1:00pm EST shows the next 6-hr period and indicates another 5 to 8 inches over north-central and northeastern Indiana. This would bring a total accumulation from 12 to 16 inches of snow!
And finally, the last 6 hours of the event, for the most part, indicates only light accumulations (generally an inch or less) associated with lighter snow and flurries through 00Z Monday, or 7:00pm EST, Sunday evening.
Things should be much quieter by this time, but I'm sure all you Hoosiers will all see a much whiter world tomorrow!
If you are reading this from Indiana and would happen to snap any photos of this snow event, please pass them along! I'd love to see how things pan out. While I don't exactly feel that 17-18 inches will fall, I'm confident enough to say that a 12 inch accumulation will be likely, somewhere, and that there is a possibility that there could be some local spots of slightly higher accumulations.
My personal snowfall forecast would sound something along these lines...
+ Locations north of a line from Crawfordsville to Portland: 8-12 inches (slightly higher, locally)
+ Locations south of this line and north of a line from Terre Haute through the south-side of Indy to Richmond: 4-8 inches
+ Locations south of this line and north of a line from Vincennes to Lawrenceburg: 1- 4 inches of snow with light ice (freezing rain or sleet) accumulations possible
+ Points southward: an inch or two, with ice accumulations up to a quarter-inch also possible Sunday afternoon
Hopefully...!
We received our first SVR of the season this evening:
Unfortunately things moved through fairly quickly and while it was dark. No structure or anything would have been visible, even if I had made any attempt at taking a gander. I was at a friend's place visiting, when the warning came over the wire and didn't even know anything about it until after-the-fact. Interestingly, the city of Grand Forks decided to activate their sirens for the high winds associated with the storms. According to an SVS at 10:50pm, a gust of 57mph was recorded at the NWS office here in town. No lightning to speak of, so am still awaiting that proverbial "first clap" of thunder for the year...
BULLETIN - EAS ACTIVATION REQUESTED
SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE EASTERN ND/GRAND FORKS
1016 PM CDT FRI APR 20 2007
THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN GRAND FORKS HAS ISSUED A
* SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING FOR...
EASTERN GRAND FORKS COUNTY IN NORTHEAST NORTH DAKOTA...
THIS INCLUDES THE CITY OF GRAND FORKS...
NORTHWESTERN POLK COUNTY IN NORTHWEST MINNESOTA...
* UNTIL 1115 PM CDT
* AT 1011 PM CDT...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR
INDICATED A LINE OF SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS CAPABLE OF
PRODUCING PENNY SIZE HAIL...AND DAMAGING WINDS IN EXCESS OF
60 MPH. THESE STORMS WERE LOCATED ALONG A LINE EXTENDING
FROM 6 MILES SOUTHEAST OF EMERADO TO 7 MILES SOUTH OF
CARPENTERS CORNER...MOVING TO THE NORTHEAST AT 30 MPH.
* SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS WILL BE ABOUT...
9 MILES SOUTHEAST OF MEKINOCK AT 1020 PM CDT...
TABOR AND ANGUS AT 1030 PM CDT...
MANVEL AT 1040 PM CDT...
REMEMBER SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS CAN AND OCCASIONALLY DO
PRODUCE TORNADOES WITH LITTLE OR NO ADVANCE WARNING.
Maybe this will be a preview of what is to come this convective season up here in the Northern Plains! We will see...
